BWN Nerds’ Movie Review: Clash of the Titans (1981)

Welcome to this week’s edition of the Nerd Review!  Every week the Nerds give you their take on a different classic from the Nerdosphere.  This week Dave and Patrick jump into the way back machine to review the 1981 classic Clash of the Titans!

The Flick:  Clash of the Titans

What’s it About:  A cinematic retelling of the Greek myth of Perseus.  The son of Zeus unwittingly incurs the wrath of the goddess Thetis.   In her desire for revenge, she demands Perseus’ bride to be Andromeda as a sacrifice…or she will release the Kraken to destroy not only Andromeda, but Perseus’ adopted home of Joppa.  Perseus sets on a perilous quest for the head of Medusa, the one thing that can defeat the Kraken and save all that he loves.

Metacritic Score: 59

The Nerds’ Take Clash of the Titans (1981):

Patrick:  Clash of the Titans will forever hold a special place in my heart.  As a kid, I watched this movie countless times.  Whether on cable TV or begging my parents to rent it, it was one of my go to films growing up.  The story itself loosely follows the Greek myth of the hero Perseus.  While Beverly Cross’s script and Desmond Davis’s direction are both quite good, most people remember this film for its special effects.  Clash of the Titans was creature creator and special effects legend Ray Harryhausen’s last film project, but it is far and away his greatest work.  To effectively blend stop motion animation effects into a 1981 action film as seamlessly as he did was unreal for the time.  Even today, rewatching this film, the scene with Medusa gets me at how good it still looks.  To make a 1 to 2 foot tall stop motion look huge an menacing was a technical feat.  The effect is only part of the equation though.  The score is terrific and you also have to credit Davis for taking Ray’s great work and building a scene of growing tension right up until the beheading.  For my money, that scene is every bit a work of art as any piece of cinema you can find.

The cast for this film is ridiculously good.  Harry Hamlin, a heartthrob of the time, is Perseus and he fits the look of the young Greek hero to a tee.  Burgess Meredith is Ammon, Perseus’s guide and sidekick for much of the film.  While these two leads are strong in their own right, it’s the casting of the Gods that really shine here.  Ursula Andress (look her up fellas and thank me later) is Aphrodite.  Dame Maggie Smith plays the vengeful Goddess Thetis.  She is cold and calculating, yet she also carries the hurt and loss of a mother in such a way that you can empathize with her rage.  But if we’re being honest here, the real star of this film is Sir Laurence Olivier chewing up scenes as the mighty Zeus.  His voice thunders throughout the film as he commands his fellow Gods to aid his son.  And of course, who doesn’t love shouting “Release the Kraken!”.  Liam Neeson has nothing on Laurence.  He is the icon of the film.

Clash of the Titans is certainly dated, but for it’s time the film was state of the art.  Stop motion is a dying art form in many respects, but this film shows it versatility and its beauty.  I mentioned Ray Harryhausen previously.  This movie is as much his film as it is anyone else’s.  Most people can’t name the director of Clash, many know Ray’s work and in this film it is no different.  Directors like Peter Jackson and James Cameron point to this film and Ray Harryhausen as an influence in their work.  This movie is high fantasy and adventure at its purest.  Simply a joy to watch and well worth your time.

Patrick’s Rating:  4.5/5

 Dave: This week’s Nerd’s Review is an absolute pleasure to write as we reviewed one of my favorite movies of all-time, 1981’s Clash of the Titans. In recent years, people like to compare this movie to the 2010 remake. Make no mistake….there is no comparison. What the remake lacked, the original had in spades namely heart, soul, and a story that grabbed you from the beginning and never let go.

Clash of the Titans is loosely based on the story of Perseus from Greek mythology. The story begins when an infant Perseus and his mother are abandoned to the sea by the King of Argos, who happens to be Perseus’s grandfather. Well, Perseus also happens to be the son of Zeus. Zeus punishes Argos by commanding Poseidon to “release the Kraken.” The Kraken destroys Argos and everyone in it but Perseus and his mother are rescued. Perseus grows up on a peaceful island until the goddess, Thetis, essentially teleports him to Joppa. There he gazes upon the beauty of the princess, Andromeda, and is hopelessly smitten. Perseus eventually wins the right to marry Andromeda but Andromeda’s mother says some foolish things in the Temple of Thetis to which the goddess takes great exception. Thettis commands that Andromeda be sacrificed to the Kraken in 30 days. This sets off the central conflict in the story as Perseus has to figure out a way to defeat the Kraken. To do so, he must slay the gorgon, Medusa, who can turn any living creature to stone with but a gaze from her eyes.

When I say I have seen this movie at least 100 times, that is not hyperbole. I was just a teen when it came out but I simply could not get enough of it. The cast is excellent. Harry Hamlin plays Perseus perfectly. Laurence Olivier is masterful as Zeus. Burgess Meredith, who could play just about any role you could give him, plays Ammon, an elderly poet and playwright who essentially is Perseus’s advisor. Maggie Smith is fantastic as Thettis many years before anyone even thought of her as Professor McGonagall from Harry Potter. There is even an appearance from Bond girl Ursula Andress as Aphrodite. The story is told so well and flows absolutely perfectly, considering the heavy aspect of mythology with which director Desmond Davis was dealing. Let’s not overlook the special effects either. True, by modern standards where everything is CGI, it is not the same. But when one considers what Ray Harryhausen was able to accomplish with stop motion effects and miniatures, and to see how they hold up fairly well nearly 40 years later, is nothing short of remarkable. The sequence with Medusa, in particular, is beyond epic and the palpable sense of tension as Medusa stalks Perseus, while Perseus is simultaneously baiting her in for the kill, is utterly magnificent. Throw in the epic clash of the titans at the end, and wrap a good old-fashioned love story around everything, and there is really nothing not to like. If you have only watched the lackluster 2010 remake, then I plead with you to give the original a chance. It is a movie that I never get tired of watching and is as timeless as any piece of cinema I can think of. The final score here should come as no surprise if you have read this far. Clash of the Titans is a must-see for any nerd out there, bandwagon or otherwise.

Dave’s Rating: 5/5

Overall Nerds’ Rating for Clash of the Titans (1981):  4.75/5